Does Mini displayport A/B Switch (not KVM) Exist?

[xyzzy-xyzzy]

On my 2010 mac pro I have a 5870 video card with of its mini displayports (mDP's) driving a 27" ACD and a VGA monitor. I want a switch so that I can connect one of the mDP's to either the VGA or an HDTV. Basically an "A/B switch". Currently the only way I can do this is manually by unplugging the VGA and plugging in the HDTV and vice versa. Over time this can be a little hard on the connectors so a switch would be nice. But does such a switch exist?

I've done a lot of google searches but turned up nothing. One search turned up the Atlona AT-MDP21 KVM which I thought maybe I could run in "reverse" but a quick call to Atlona tech support killed that idea. So I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas.

 

[waw74]

so?

1 ---- ACD

2a -----VGA --- monitor (using MDP to VGA adapter)
b ------?? ----- HDTV (guessing you have some sort of adapter, that converts MDP to whatever is on the TV, HDMI?)

could you just use a mini display port splitter or this one?

 

[xyzzy-xyzzy]

so?

1 ---- ACD

2a -----VGA --- monitor (using MDP to VGA adapter)
b ------?? ----- HDTV (guessing you have some sort of adapter, that converts MDP to whatever is on the TV, HDMI?)

could you just use a mini display port splitter or this one?

Well, just to be clear/explicit here's your diagram modified:

1 --- ACD

2a --- mDP-to-VGA adapter --- VGA
2b --- mdP-to-HDMI adapter --- HDMI cable --- Sony 32XBR6 HDTV

I didn't mention using the appropriate adapters because I thought that would be obvious and I didn't want to detract from my basic question.

Your links are to 1-to-2 splitters, not switches. I don't want to drive VGA and HDTV simultaneously and I don't even know what the Display preferences would make of such an attachment (i.e. it wouldn't know what it's talking to -- a 1024 x 768 VGA or a 1080p TV). I suspect the sound prefs would be equally confused.

Now if there was a "splitter" that let you choose which of the two paths to use, that would be an "A/B switch" (using, for example, TV antenna terminology -- I use an A/B antenna switch to switch between two OTA TV antennas) and that's what I am looking for.

On the other hand if I end up not finding a mDP A/B switch that link you gave to the TrippLite mDP splitter may be the next best thing (forget the $269 Atlona considering the TrippLite is under $40). If I have to do the switching manually I'd rather wear out the connectors in relatively cheap splitters and adapters as opposed to the mDP connectors in the expensive 5870 video card! Thanks for that link.

[Now I wonder if that mDP splitter also has audio pass through -- can't tell from the specs -- I'll send Tripp Lite an email.]

Edit:
Hmm, I thought some more about what I just said about using a splitter. If I would still have use something like that and switch manually just because I'm worried about waring out the mDP connector on the video card I might just as well use an mDP extension cable since I would only be using one port of the splitter at any one time. So unless a real mDP A/B switch exists (at a reasonable price of course) I think I'll just get a mDP extension cable.

 

[mikecism]

Well, just to be clear/explicit here's your diagram modified:

1 --- ACD

2a --- mDP-to-VGA adapter --- VGA
2b --- mdP-to-HDMI adapter --- HDMI cable --- Sony 32XBR6 HDTV

I didn't mention using the appropriate adapters because I thought that would be obvious and I didn't want to detract from my basic question.

Your links are to 1-to-2 splitters, not switches. I don't want to drive VGA and HDTV simultaneously and I don't even know what the Display preferences would make of such an attachment (i.e. it wouldn't know what it's talking to -- a 1024 x 768 VGA or a 1080p TV). I suspect the sound prefs would be equally confused.

Now if there was a "splitter" that let you choose which of the two paths to use, that would be an "A/B switch" (using, for example, TV antenna terminology -- I use an A/B antenna switch to switch between two OTA TV antennas) and that's what I am looking for.

On the other hand if I end up not finding a mDP A/B switch that link you gave to the TrippLite mDP splitter may be the next best thing (forget the $269 Atlona considering the TrippLite is under $40). If I have to do the switching manually I'd rather wear out the connectors in relatively cheap splitters and adapters as opposed to the mDP connectors in the expensive 5870 video card! Thanks for that link.

[Now I wonder if that mDP splitter also has audio pass through -- can't tell from the specs -- I'll send Tripp Lite an email.]

Edit:
Hmm, I thought some more about what I just said about using a splitter. If I would still have use something like that and switch manually just because I'm worried about waring out the mDP connector on the video card I might just as well use an mDP extension cable since I would only be using one port of the splitter at any one time. So unless a real mDP A/B switch exists (at a reasonable price of course) I think I'll just get a mDP extension cable.

The Tripp-Lite splitter does not work with Macs (at least not Macbooks; have not tested desktop.)